Sussex stretched their lead over Worcestershire to 191 after a tensely fought afternoon session at Hove.

Part-time spinner Alexei Kervezee added the wickets of dangermen Ed Joyce and Luke Wright to that of Matt Machan in the morning.

Craig Cachopa’s miserable game also continued when he fell for a duck but Ben Brown and Ashar Zaidi dug in well to help guide Sussex to 235-6 at tea.

Cachopa – who dropped three catches yesterday - lasted just eight balls before he was trapped lbw by Charles Morris.

Wright was then undone by a ball from Kervezee which reared at him off a length to be caught at short-leg for 21.

Kervezee found extra bounce once again to remove Joyce on 82 with the Sussex skipper edging to second slip.

At that point Sussex’s lead was only 150 but Brown put on 39 with Zaidi before being bowled by Jack Shantry for 44 just before tea.

Zaidi will resume on 16 after the restart and has been joined by Ajmal Shahzad (1 not out) who has recovered from food poisoning which restricted him to bowling just ten overs yesterday.